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Archaeologists stumble upon 2,000-year-old stupa

ASI's regional director Sathyabhama Badrinath, who had accompanied Mr Nagaswamy in identifying the idols.

Chennai: Many among the exquisite collection of idols seized at the residence of Deenadayalan here belong to the second century and on Thursday the archaeological experts who inspected the rich find noticed a stupa, said to be 2,000 years-old.

Noted archaeologist and former director of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) R. Nagaswamy said about 2,000 years ago, the Buddhist stupas were erected in several places and the Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda (sites in Guntur district) in Andhra Pradesh abound in such stupas.

Regretting that the sculptures from Amaravati are confined to a spot among broken pieces in the Egmore Museum, he said “in the British Museum in London, such rare sculptures are preserved in a separate air-conditioned gallery.”

ASI's regional director Sathyabhama Badrinath, who had accompanied Mr Nagaswamy in identifying the idols, said several idols (seized at Deenadayalan's house) were 2,000-year-old. Indicating that process of verifying the idols and other artifacts was over, she said a comprehensive report would be submitted to the idol wing police in a couple of days.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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